Choose Your Own Adventure
Dual Degrees, International Field Seminars, Cross-Registration, and More –First-Year MBA Student Shironda White Reflects on the Many Opportunities Questrom Has To Offer
“I couldn’t decide between Israel and Latin America,” Shironda White said of the International Field Seminar options. “So I’m going to both.” Shironda, a first-year MBA candidate, is gearing up for a fourth module (quarter) of jet setting around the world as part of her MBA experience. With the eventual goal of eradicating food deserts in the US, she chose the Israel Field Seminar for its focus on entrepreneurial ecosystems and the Latin America Field Seminar for its focus on supply chain sustainability and corporate social responsibility (with trips that include wine tasting and learning about agriculture and aquaculture).
Questrom’s MBA offerings are unique in that they provide students with opportunities for outside study, whether it’s across the campus or around the globe. Cross-registration and dual degree programs at other BU schools are common, as are the international field seminars in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and other regions.
“This is one of the reasons I chose Questrom” Shironda says of the options she has to choose from. “I wanted to study abroad, but not necessarily in just one place. I’m also interested in cross-registering at the Law School and the School of Public Health, and not every business school allows cross-registration. Questrom truly gives me the opportunity to chart my own path.”
Among Shironda’s other plans for her MBA experience: An internship this summer with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She secured the internship through Questrom’s partnership with Management Leadership for Tomorrow, a premiere MBA professional development and business school prep program. The Gates Foundation invites prospective students from a select number of schools and MLT fellows to apply for its internship program, so attending Questrom was instrumental in helping her secure the offer.
When asked what advice should would give to prospective students entering business schools, Shironda replies: “The best advice I ever received was from a consultant at Strategy& this summer. He said not to do the normal, standard stuff. Find out what really interests you, what you’re really passionate about, and if you don’t see an opportunity to do it, create one. For me that included not just international study and learning outside of the classroom about entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility, but also building strong relationships with students at other schools, taking a range of classes in law and public health, and hopefully working with a faculty member next year on research in corporate social responsibility and social entrepreneurship. Questrom is both large enough and small enough to really find (or create) what works for you.”